twice baked southwest sweet potatoes

 up and at it eeeearly this morning again gettin' sweaty with the stair master. i thought it was pretty cool to see my own sweat on the machine but when you really think about just how GERMY gyms are it's pretty disgusting! wiping your machine down before you use it eases your mind a little..but far from a truly effective germ blocker.  also, if you're like me you've got your phone, ipod, headphones, etc. with you that you're constantly touching in between sets. wash your hands and wipe those items down before you leave! if you use weight gloves, wash them often and don't even think about driving home in them. eeeeewwww.

i told Sonny if i start going hard with the snooze button to simply push me out of bed.  for real. 9 times outta 10 i severely regret not getting up to get my workout in.  it jump starts my mood, my productivity, my drive to accomplish some goals on my to-do list... i need my early am workouts. my day depends on them. when i skip, it's like i never wake up and really get going until the day is pretty much over. which means getting to bed is a must but sometimes difficult with these unpredictable little people.

 fighting through some soreness from all the lifting i've been doing, but it's nothing some consistency won't fix.  'starting over' physically after being quite active is always a humbling experience for me. it gives me a bit more mercy on the first timers that take my classes for sure lol.  anyhow, 8 weeks postpartum today,

and 8 weeks old for this little guy <3 .  the back of his onesie says 'focus on me'. loves it!

i was inspired to whip up this sweet potato recipe via Instagram earlier today.

Twice Baked Southwest Sweet Potatoes

the stuff:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, roasted
• 1/4 cup sweet summer corn
• 1/4 cup low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheddar almond cheese
• 4 oz grilled chicken breast, chopped into chunks
• 1 heaping tbsp Mrs. Dash Southwest seasoning blend
• sea salt & black pepper to taste and avocado for presentation

do this:

1. set your oven broiler to high and coat a square 8 x 8 pan with no-stick cooking spray.
2. halve both sweet potatoes and scoop out the insides (but leave some around the edges so the halve can stand on its own) and add it to a large mixing bowl.
3. add all seasonings, corn, half of the green onions, black beans, 2 oz of chopped chicken, and half of the shredded cheese; mix well.
4. spoon mixture back into the 4 sweet potato shells evenly and sprinkle with the remaining cheese, green onion, and chicken chunks and arrange them in your prepared pan.
5. place pan in oven (not too close to the broiler flame though!) and let it go  for 12-15  min or until the cheese is melted and the tops are browned/crisped.

once done, top with tomato and avocado. make it pretty.

hey these can even be vegan if you nix the chicken!

 makes 4 servings. for 1:

 yall enjoy!

le